Man punched his father in the head six times

When he was very drunk a 26-year-old man punched his father six times on the head, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard last Friday.

Richard Erskine, Woodville Heights, Lurgan, admitted common assault on June 11 this year and criminal damage to household items.

The court heard that at 7.20pm after a third party report police went to a domestic incident at Woodville Heights.

The father said he had been assaulted by his son and punched to the head at least six times. Police noticed redness to his face.

The injured party had to run outside to get away from his son. He heard the defendant smashing things in the house and when he returned a glass mirror in the hallway had been smashed on the ground. Upstairs another mirror was broken and there were holes in the wall of the computer room.

Erskine appeared in court last Friday via videolink from Maghaberry prison.

His solicitor said he had graduated in bio-medical sciences from Cambridge but has had problems with alcohol over the years.

He added that his client was in a highly intoxicated state when this incident took place.

The solicitor said Erskine had been in custody since June 11 because he was unable to perfect his bail and while in prison he had been attending AA meetings which he intends to continue with on his release.

He added that the defendant’s father had been to visit him and Erskine hoped to go back to university and get back into medicine.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said the defendant had already spent the equivalent of four months in custody and she would not ask for a pre-sentence report as this would only lengthen his time in prison.

On each of the two charges she sentenced him to three months in custody with the terms to run concurrently.

Judge Kelly also ordered him to pay £300 in compensation to his father.